Hon. Christopher L. Jacobs ’99

Jacobs is the eldest of five siblings. His mother was an educator and his father a renowned neurologist and researcher. Jacobs attended Canisius High School and Boston College as an undergraduate, and earned an MBA from American University in Washington, D.C. 

He had few perceptions of lawyers growing up. He talked with Tom Beecher about the possibility of law school. He admired the thought process, analysis and articulation skills of lawyers. He asked Professor Ken Joyce for advice about going to law school. Joyce said, “You know, you’re still in your 20s. Your life is going to get busy as you move forward. This may be your last opportunity to really invest in yourself and your personal growth.” 

His family supported his decision to go. He applied to law school and didn’t get in. Then he ran for office, lost, reapplied, and was admitted the next year to UB.

At law school, he felt intellectually out of shape, but it was stimulating and challenging. He participated in the Moot Court, Trial Technique, Jessup and Mugel competitions. He made close friends, as the intensity of the program and of the study groups forged strong bonds. His fondest memories are of the personal relationships he made. The county clerk position enables him to see many classmates successfully practicing. He is grateful to Alan Carrel for his encouragement; Dean Nils Olson for the extensive clinical legal education program; George Hezel for the Affordable Housing Clinic; and Jim Magavern for classes on the Buffalo Charter Revision Commission. Ken Joyce was among his favorite professors, and he liked tax law, trusts and estates. Joyce’s enthusiasm for the subject was contagious. He also loved Torts, Civil Procedure and Constitutional Law. Research and writing were the most challenging but taught valuable skills. He appreciated that practitioners, such as Judge Hugh Scott, supported the students.

After law school, Jacobs clerked at a firm for a summer but felt his path was elsewhere. He took a job in county government as deputy commissioner for planning and economic development under Larry Rubin. He learned a great deal from him.

His says his greatest professional achievements were co-founding the BISON Fund with Tom Beecher, and passing the bar exam the first time.

Jacobs is an advocate for the creation of charter schools. The BISON (Buffalo Inner-city Scholarship Opportunity Network) Scholarship Fund is a private charity that provides tuition assistance to low- and moderate-income families in the eight counties of Western New York.

He served on the Buffalo Board of Education (2004-2009) while simultaneously serving as secretary of state under Gov. George Pataki. “Going to law school is one of best decisions I’ve ever made,” he says. “I use what I learned every day.”